Radiation detecting element and radiation detecting device

Abstract

There has been such a problem that radiation detecting elements using semiconductor elements have a low radiation detection efficiency, since the radiation detecting elements easily transmit radiation, even though the radiation detecting elements have merits, such as small dimensions and light weight. Disclosed are a radiation detecting element and a radiation detecting device, wherein a film formed of a metal, such as tungsten, is formed on the radiation incident surface of the radiation detecting element, and the incident energy of the radiation is attenuated. The efficiency of generating carriers by way of radiation incidence is improved by attenuating the incident energy, the thickness of the metal film is optimized, and the radiation detection efficiency is improved.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A radiation detecting element, comprised of:
 an intrinsic semiconductor substrate; 
 an electrode arranged in the radiation incident side on the intrinsic semiconductor substrate; and 
 an n-type semiconductor region or a p-type semiconductor region arranged in the opposite side, 
 wherein the electrode is one of a metal film or a laminated film including the metal film, and 
 wherein, with x (cm) defined as a thickness of the metal film, a (1/cm) defined as a mass attenuation of the metal of the metal film, and b (cm) defined as a mean range of a generated recoil electron in the metal of the metal film, the thickness x (cm) is arranged in a range of a half-width of an approximated radiation detection efficiency of the radiation detecting element defined as y=(1−exp(−a*x))*exp(−b*x). 
 
     
     
       2. The radiation detecting element according to  claim 1 , wherein the radiation is gamma ray or X-ray. 
     
     
       3. The radiation detecting element of  claim 1 , wherein the metal of the metal film is selected from the group consisting of W, Pt, In, Fe, Pb, Cu, and an alloy of any of W, Pt, In, Fe, Pb, and Cu. 
     
     
       4. The radiation detecting element of  claim 1 , wherein the laminated film is formed of metals selected from the group consisting of W/Pt, W/Fe, W/In, W/Cu, and alloys of any of W/Pt, W/Fe, W/In, and W/Cu. 
     
     
       5. The radiation detecting element of  claim 1 , wherein the intrinsic semiconductor substrate is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of Si, Ge, ZnO, CdTe, CdZnTe, SiC, GaN, and GaAs. 
     
     
       6. A radiation detecting device which detects radiation by utilizing the radiation detecting element according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       7. A PET device which detects radiation by utilizing the radiation detecting element according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       8. The radiation detecting element of  claim 2 , wherein the metal of the metal film is selected from the group consisting of W, Pt, In, Fe, Pb, Cu, and an alloy of any of W, Pt, In, Fe, Pb, and Cu. 
     
     
       9. The radiation detecting element of  claim 2 , wherein the laminated film is formed of metals selected from the group consisting of W/Pt, W/Fe, W/In, W/Cu, and alloys of any of W/Pt, W/Fe, W/In, and W/Cu. 
     
     
       10. The radiation detecting element of  claim 2 , wherein the intrinsic semiconductor substrate is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of Si, Ge, ZnO, CdTe, CdZnTe, SiC, GaN, and GaAs. 
     
     
       11. The radiation detecting element of  claim 3 , wherein the intrinsic semiconductor substrate is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of Si, Ge, ZnO, CdTe, CdZnTe, SiC, GaN, and GaAs. 
     
     
       12. The radiation detecting element of  claim 4 , wherein the intrinsic semiconductor substrate is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of Si, Ge, ZnO, CdTe, CdZnTe, SiC, GaN, and GaAs. 
     
     
       13. A radiation detecting device which detects radiation by utilizing the radiation detecting element according to  claim 2 . 
     
     
       14. A radiation detecting device which detects radiation by utilizing the radiation detecting element according to  claim 3 .